1. Google Maps version 5 is a background battery killer – when you don’t need it, make sure you kill off all the background map processes. There’s a lot of discussion around which aspect of maps seems to be causing issues – latitude, background caching of map data etc…..

2. Voice recognition using the UK English setting is terrible – switch to US English – you’ll thank me.

Anyone in the UK who has seen this video and sworn at their phone while trying to copy the voice commands will understand:

3. To save a bit more battery I found that switching off automatic brightness and setting to minimum is just fine for most indoor uses. You can always use the quick select widget to boost the brightness when you go outside.

4. Save a bit more battery – switch NFC (Near Field Communications) off in settings. As far as I know, only Pret a Manger in the UK uses this as a payment mechanism so unless you want to buy a sandwich with your phone you don’t need it – yet.

5. Use a task manager such as ‘tasker’ about$ 3.99 in the Android market – helps automate the switching on and off of services based on a bunch of settings you provide about time, location etc. I also found a (currently) free application called ‘Sweet Dreams’ – a simpleer version that switches off non-essential services at night. Useful if you forget to put the device on charge and need the juice in the morning.

6. Some have reported that switching on USB debugging in settings/Applications/Development helps reduce battery life. Apparently limiting battery use by preventing the /init process running wild – allegedly a known bug.

Perhaps I should have titled the article ‘top power saving tips’ – I’m guessing a lot of new users will be focused on power until the maps issue is resolved.

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A few weeks of garden leave so…..

Fancy producing a few robots myself but my son is terribly keen on the techniques for producing Hydrogen gas for powering a rocket.

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as opposed to this

Read Engadget article on the former here

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Seems strange to see computer game equipment in a museum – the stuff is only 30 years old.
I already own a lot of the items seen in the exhibition but would almost kill for the Coleco Vision system that was on display. It was all my son could do to hold me back from breaking the glass grabbing the kit and doing a runner !

This small exhibition is running in Horsham museum, West Sussex.

See some of the pictures here

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